At this point in the term the crews across the schools are learning all about the different roles involved in making a film. We introduce the key roles we need for our production and ask the children to pick three of these roles, ones they are especially interested in taking on. As best as we can, we will make sure everyone can take on a role they’ve chosen.
This starts with the Producer. Our Producers are the leaders of our productions. What they say goes. The Producer and Director are very much interlinked, with a common goal to create the Director’s vision tempered by time constraints, the language of our charities, and the strengths of what’s available to us through costume, props and location. These elements are managed by the production’s Art Department.
Our aim as educators is to get our crews into a position of understanding how to shoot a scene as a cohesive team, without intervention from the adults in the room. This empowerment is key to the impact that Ciné Schools has had on so many, since we launched 4 years ago.
If the Producer is ready, they’ll let the Assistant Director (AD) know we need to start filming. The AD will assess the different departments to see if that’s possible. If they’re prepared, the Producer will be told, “We’re ready”.
AD: “QUIET ON SET!” Each department prepares themselves for filming.
AD: “LIGHTS!” The lighting team confirm the lights are at the levels they need to be, and the set is safe.
AD: “CAMERA!” The Camera Operator and Director of Photography are happy with the image.
AD: “SPEED!” Our sound engineer is now recording and happy with the levels they’re monitoring. They give the thumbs up.
DIRECTOR: “ACTION!”
As Educators we’re only on set for safety. These films are theirs and theirs alone. Our films are made entirely by 8-14 year olds, and that’s amazing.
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